Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang
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The DSH (German abbreviation for Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang) is a language proficiency test required for entry to a German university and to undertake all classes in the German language.
It consists of a written and an oral examination, the written part being a precondition for the oral one. Students are allowed to use a German–German dictionary during the written examinations and—in case of failing—to only repeat the examination once. The grading scale of DSH is between 1–3 with 3 being the best possible grade. A detailed breakdown of the percentile achieved in each part of the examination will also be given on the certificate.
Proficiency levels according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR):
DSH 1 (≥57%): Level B2.2
DSH 2 (≥67%): Level C1.1
DSH 3 (≥82%): Level C1.2
Written examination
Consists of the following parts:
- Listening comprehension and use of the language from a listening text
- Reading comprehension and use of the language from a reading text
- Comprehension and application of language in academic language
Oral examination
As a rule the oral examination lasts about 20 minutes. Some institutions offer the possibility of exonerating the oral examination by showing an excellent level on the written examination.
During the oral examination the following points will be considered:
- Does the language you use correspond adequately to the question/assignment?
- Are you able to express yourself independently with a differentiated viewpoint?
- Is the language you use correct?
- Is your pronunciation and intonation comprehensible?